Printing method

ABSTRACT

A printing method wherein a series of indicia, a geometric design, an artistic work or the like is scribed on a flexible plastic sheet serving as a printing plate. The plastic sheet is then coated with a water base ink, an oil base ink, or both, one after the other in either order. The excess ink is removed after each coating. The inked plastic sheet is placed on top of an ink receptive paper or the like with the scribed and inked surface of the plastic sheet adjacent the paper. The non-scribed, non-inked side of the plastic sheet is rubbed with a hard, smooth-edged implement. Thereafter, the plastic sheet is removed from the paper and the ink thereon is permitted to dry.

0 United States Patent 11 1 1111 3,779,163

Inwood Dec. 18, 1973 [54] PRINTING METHOD 366,751 7/1887 Worrall 101 211 1 1 Inventor: Bart lnwood, 186 Lawrence 3333233 551233 2512551132... :13: 1853?? Paramus, 07652 565,891 8/!896 Frauenfe|der.... 101/211 Oct. Gl'CEl [21] Appl 193786 Primary ExaminerClyde l. Coughenour Attorney-John W. Melville et al. [52] US. Cl 101/170, 101/211, 10l/395, 10l/40l.l [51] Int. Cl B41m l/lO, B4lm H18 [57] ABSTRACT [58] Field of Search 101/150, 170, 395. A Priming method wherein a Series of indicia, a

1()1/363 metric design, an artistic work or the like is scribed on a flexible plastic sheet serving as a printing plate. The [56] References Cit d plastic sheet is then coated with a water base ink, an UNITED STATES PATENTS oil base ink, or both, one after the other in either or 624 030 5/1899 He er [01/2] 1 X der. The excess ink is removed after eachcoating. The 2 362 263 11/1944 cr nsteiiiiII II 101/170 mked plastic sheet placed 9" top of f mk receptive 2:697:893 2/1954 Schaum III'T X paper or the l1ke w1th the scnbed and mked surface of 3419413 2/1968 Euforbiaw 117/38 the plastic sheet adjacent the paper. The non-scribed, 3 9 745 0 1972 Mono" u 101 4 5 1 non-inked side Of the plastic sheet is rubbed with a 3,304,861 2/1967 Magid.... lOl/2l 1 X hard, smooth-edged implement. Thereafter, the plastic 3,213,787 10/1065 Miller l0l/466 X sheet is removed from the paper and the ink thereon is 2,384,857 9/1945 Terry 1 l0l/467 X permitted to 6!,733 2/1867 Hurdinm, l0l/468 237,558 2/l88l Lee lOl/lSl 9 Claims, N0 Drawings PRINTING METHOD BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention-relates to a printing method, and more particularly to a printing method utilizing a thin, fiexi ble plastic sheet as a printing plate.

2. Description of the Prior Art The printing method of the present invention is substantially unlimited with respect to its application. For example, it may be used in association with work with computers, industrial drawings, and the production and reproduction of technical, informative or decorative indicia, geometric designs, and the like. For purposes of an exemplary showing, however, it will be described with respect to the production of an artistic work.

The end product of the printing method of the present invention is similar to those works conventionally referred to as etchings. In the usual practice, etchings are produced through the use of a metallic printing plate of copper or the like. The metallic plate is provided with a chemical or acid resistant coating. The artistic work is scribed in the chemical resistant coating. When the artistic work is completed, the plate is subjected to a chemical bath which etches the plate wherever the protective coating has been removed by the scribing.

After the etching of the plate has been completed, the protective coating is removed and the plate is prepared for the printing process. After the plate has been appropriately inked and placed in a press, a sheet of dampened paper is placed over it and the press is activated. The paper is then removed from the plate and it and the ink thereon are permitted to dry.

When an artistic work is to be produced having more than one color, it is necessary to print each color separately using the same plate or different plates. Great care must be taken and special precautions must be exercised to provide proper registry at the time each color is printed.

The printing method of the present invention provides a faster, easier and far cheaper method of producing an artistic work. The method of the present invention requires no expensive plate, no expensive tools, no press and no chemicals.

The printing plate of the present invention is a simple, inexpensive, flexible sheet of plastic material. A transparent plastic sheet may be used so that problems of registry and the like may be minimized. When a transparent plastic sheet is used, the art work scribed thereon may be traced from a previously made sketch, drawing, painting or the like. Thus, the printing method may be satisfactorily practiced by people having various degrees of artistic talent.

Finally, since the printing plate of the present invention is a thin flexible plastic one, since (contrary to conventional practice in the production of etchings) the plastic plate is placed over the paper to be printed, and since the printing may be accomplished by pressure applied to the plate by a hand-manipulated implement; each print can have a different feeling and a different visual effect by varying the amount of pressure applied to the various areas of the plate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the invention, a series of indicia, a geometric design or an artistic work is scribed in a sheet of flexible plastic material through the use of a sharp, pointed instrument. The flexible plastic sheet serves as a printing plate.

When the scribing operation has been completed, the scribed surface is inked with a water base ink and the excess ink is removed. Thereafter, the same surface is inked with an oil base ink and the excess is removed. It is within the scope of the invention to apply the oil base ink first, followed by the water base ink. It is also within the scope of the invention to use only one type of ink.

The plastic sheet is then placed upon an appropriately dampened sheet of paper with the scribed and inked surface of the plastic sheet adjacent the paper. Thereafter, pressure is applied to the reverse side of the plastic sheet through the use of a hard, smooth-edged implement, operated either by hand or mechanically. Once the plate has been carefully and thoroughly rubbed by the pressure-applying implement, the plate is removed and the paper and ink are permitted to dry. Any other suitable ink receptive surface may be used in place of the dampened paper.

When the plastic printing plate is to be used again, the same procedure is followed including the reinking of the plate with both types of ink, when two type of ink are used.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The printing method of the present invention utilizes a printing plate in the form of a thin, flexible plastic sheet. The plastic sheet material may or may not be of the type treated for ink acceptance.

The plastic sheet material may have any suitable thickness such that it may be scribed and at the same time have sufficient strength and flexibility to function properly when pressure is applied to it during the printing step. As a non-limiting example, excellent results have been achieved with an acetate sheet having a thickness of 0.005 inch and sold under the trademark Aquabee by the Bee Paper Co., Inc. of Passaic, New Jersey.

While the printing method of the present invention is not limited as to the type of plastic sheet material used, and while an opaque plastic sheet will serve, a number of advantages are achieved through the use of a transparent sheet material such as a transparent acetate. For example, when a transparent sheet material is used, the artistic work may be scribed thereon by tracing a preliminary sketch, drawing, painting or the like. This is not only of assistance to the skilled artist, but also enables the printing method of the present invention to be practiced by persons of lesser talent. Other advantages of the use of a transparent plastic sheet will be described hereinafter.

The scribing of the plastic sheet can be accomplished through the use of a conventional scribing tool, or other suitable sharp implement such as a large sewing needle, a small matte knife, or the like. The amount of pressure to be applied during the scribing operation will depend upon the nature and thickness of the plastic sheet material and the type of implement used. With practice, the amount of pressure can be readily and quickly ascertained, even by the unskilled worker.

Once the scribing step has been completed, the plastic sheet is ready to serve its function as a printing plate. The next step in the process is to ink the plastic sheet or plate.

The plastic sheet or plate will function properly when inked with either a water base ink or an oil base ink. However, it has been found preferable to ink the plate with both types of ink (i.e., a water base ink and an oil base ink), because the one repells the other. Any suitable water base ink and oil base ink may be used, as for example those sold under the trademark SPEEDBALL. In the preferred practice, the water base ink is applied first. The excess is then removed so that the ink remaining on the plastic sheet or plate resides in the lines scribed thereon. Immediately thereafter, the oil base ink is applied to the plate. Again the excess is removed by wiping or the like so that the oil base ink remaining on the plate also resides in the lines scribed therein.

The manner in which the ink is applied to the plate does not constitute a limitation on the present invention. Thus it may be applied by wiping, rolling, doctoring or the like. As indicated above, it is preferred to apply the water base ink first, followed by the oil base ink. This is true largely because it is believed that the oil base ink provides a richer quality in the end product..lt is, however, within the scope of the invention to apply the oil base ink, followed by the water base ink, and the plastic sheet or plate of the present invention performs well in either event.

Once the plastic sheet or plate has been inked, it is ready for the printing step. The printing step may be performed on any suitable ink-receptive surface. When paper is used, it is generally perferred that it is damp during the printing step, as is true in the process of producing conventional etchings. lf most papers are dry, they will not print properly. If they are wet or too damp, the sharpness and clarity of theprint will be lost. The amount of dampness to provide the best print can be readily determined by simple experimentation and is generally the same as that used in the production of conventional etching. Finally, the paper must have sufficient strength to withstand the pressure applied to the printing plate and a proper surface to print well. It has been found that best resultsare achieved when the paper has a relatively smooth surface. For example, excellent results are achieved when conventional etching paper is used. it has further been found, however, that the process of the present invention does permit the use of thinner paper (when desired) than is normally used in the production of conventional etchings.

Once the plastic sheet or plate has been properly inked and the paper properly dampened (when required), the plate is then placed on top of the paper with the scribed and inked side of the plate adjacent the paper. The plate may be securely held in position on the paper by any conventional method including simply taping the plate corners to the paper. The back or uppermost side of the plastic sheet or plate is then rubbed either mechanically or by hand through the use of a suitable tool. When the rubbing is accomplished by hand, a burnisher or other hard object with smooth edges may be used. Care must be taken in the selection of the tool to avoid anything which might put a hole in the plate. Once the plate has been thoroughly and adequately rubbed, it is removed from the paper and the paper and ink thereon are permitted to dry. The drying time will depend upon the dampness of the paper and the type of ink used. When inks of the type described above are used, the print may generally be handled in about 10 minutes. The drying time may be shortened by the application of mild heat or the movement of air over the surface of the paper.

When a number of prints are to be produced, the above enumerated steps are repeated for each print, including the inking of the plate with both types of ink. When proper control and even pressure are used in the rubbing process, the prints produced will be substantially identical to each other. However, unlike conventional etching processes, the prints may be made to vary one from the other by varying the amount of pressure applied to the plate and the locations at which various pressures are applied. In this way, prints having different artistic feeling may be produced with the same plastic sheet or plate.

When a print is to be made having a number of colors thereon, the process is practiced for each color utilizing the same or different plates. It will be understood that if a transparent acetate sheet is used the matter of proper registry is greatly simplified. While conventional registration marks may be used to achieve the proper alignment, it is also possible to achieve this visually since the plate is transparent. When registration marks are used, the transparent plate will enable a final visual check that the proper alignment has been achieved.

It will be readily apparent from the foregoing that the printing method of the present invention is both faster and cheaper than conventional methods of producing etchings. The need for expensive plates, chemical baths and a press has been eliminated. It has been found that when proper care is exercised, from 35 to 40 or more prints may be produced from a single plastic sheet 0 plate.

Modifications may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit of it.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A manual printing method comprising the steps of providing a reusable, flexible, thermoplastic, resinous sheet having first and second sides and a thickness of at least about 0.005 in., scribing indicia to be printed into said first side of said sheet whereby said indicia comprises a plurality of recesses in said first side, applying to said first side of said sheet one of a water base ink and an oil base ink and removing the excess therefrom whereby said last mentioned ink resides only in said recesses, applying to said first side of said sheet the other of said water base ink and said oil base ink and removing the excess therefrom whereby said last mentioned ink also resides only in said recesses, providing a dampened piece of paper, placing said scribed and inked sheet on said paper with said first side adjacent said paper, rubbing said second side of said sheet and removing said sheet from said paper.

2. The process claimed in claim 1 wherein said water base ink is applied to said first side of said sheet prior to said oil base ink.

3. The process claimed in claim 1 wherein said oil base ink is applied to said first side of said sheet prior to said water base ink.

4. The process claimed in claim 1 wherein said sheet is transparent.

5. The process claimed in claim 1 wherein said plastic sheet comprises a transparent acetate sheet having a thickness of about 0.005 inch.

in the same manner whereby to produce more than one substantially identical print.

9. The process claimed in claim 7 wherein for each repetition of said steps said rubbing step is varied as to pressure applied and the locations on said second side of said sheet at which said various pressures are applied to produce more than one print differing from each other in appearance. 

1. A manual printing method comprising the steps of providing a reusable, flexible, thermoplastic, resinous sheet having first and second sides and a thickness of at least about 0.005 in., scribing indicia to be printed into said first side of said sheet whereby said indicia comprises a plurality of recesses in said first side, applying to said first side of said sheet one of a water base ink and an oil base ink and removing the excess therefrom whereby said last mentioned ink resides only in said recesses, applying to said first side of said sheet the other of said water base ink and said oil base ink and removing the excess therefrom whereby said last mentioned ink also resides only in said recesses, providing a dampened piece of paper, placing said scribed and inked sheet on said paper with said first side adjacent said paper, rubbing said second side of said sheet and removing said sheet from said paper.
 2. The process claimed in claim 1 wherein said water base ink is applied to said first side of said sheet prior to said oil base ink.
 3. The process claimed in claim 1 wherein said oil base ink is applied to said first side of said sheet prior to said water base ink.
 4. The process claimed in claim 1 wherein said sheet is transparent.
 5. The process claimed in claim 1 wherein said plastic sheet comprises a transparent acetate sheet having a thickness of about 0.005 inch.
 6. The process claimed in claim 1 wherein said rubbing step is performed manually with a hard implement having smooth edges.
 7. The process claimed in claim 1 wherein said steps are performed more than once with the same sheet, a new piece of paper being provided for each repetition whereby to produce more than one print.
 8. The process claimed in claim 7 wherein for each repetition of said steps said rubbing step is performed in the same manner whereby to produce more than one substantially identical print.
 9. The process claimed in claim 7 wherein for each repetition of said steps said rubbing step is varied as to pressure applied and the locations on said second side of said sheet at which said various pressures are applied to produce more than one print differing from each other in appearance. 